Paul Nicholls: Thursday runners at Newbury and Taunton

Will Paul be celebrating some winners on Thursday afternoon?

Paul Nicholls is cautiously optimistic as he sends a group of promising runners in to action on Thursday afternoon... 

12:25 Newbury - Aaim To Prosper

All eyes will be on him here but don't go thinking that he is a certainty. Of course he is an exciting prospect, rated 112 on the Flat after winning his second Cesarewitch, and he jumps and goes nicely. But in an ideal world, even though he has shown form on soft ground on the Flat, I would have waited for better ground for him. But what do you do? If you waited for better ground this winter, it seems that you may be waiting for ever. And I have had so many horses like him off the Flat who really need their first experience of hurdles. Ranjaan at this meeting last year, for one. And I remember a similar type of horse that we got off Aidan O'Brien a few years back, the 110+ rated Group 3 winner Hebridean, who was beaten by a long way in soft ground on debut here. But he then showed great improvement, winning the Adonis at Kempton just two starts later. So, while I clearly am hopeful of making a winning start with him here, punters should be aware that defeat wouldn't be a disaster either, given my comments above.

12:55 Newbury - Elenika

Didn't show all that much in France, not winning in 11 starts, but he pleased me when scoring for us on his debut at Huntingdon. He meets a better class of opposition here and ideally wants further, but 2m1f should be fine in this ground and I think he is obviously open to improvement. I think he will run well, even if this is a much stiffer test than Huntingdon.

13:05 Taunton - Suerte Al Salto

Bumper winner who raced too keenly on his hurdling debut at Wincanton, but settled a lot better when second at Taunton last time. That form puts him with every chance here and I think the longer trip will suit, but I just hope the ground continues to dry up for him.

14:40 Newbury - Cedre Bleu

Lightly-raced, has had his problems in the past and lost his way a bit on his last two starts last season. But he satisfied me in his recent racecourse gallop with Big Buck's, so hopefully any issues are behind him now and he can show his true worth. I think a mark of 135 is probably fair enough on his defeat of Bellvano here last January, and the soft ground will hold no fears for him. He goes well fresh and I think he has been crying out for this trip, too. So I have to be hopeful.

15:15 Newbury - Edgardo Sol

Clearly was no match for the King George-bound Cue Card in the Haldon at Exeter on his reappearance, but he has definite prospects here, with the one obvious negative being the ground. He is 12lb lower over hurdles than over fences and Harry is able to take 7lb off, the last day that he can as he claims 5lb from tomorrow. Edgardo Sol didn't do too badly when we alternated him from fences to hurdles and back again last season, and he ended up just being beaten in the County Hurdle. Of course, the big concern is the testing ground, as he clearly prefers it much better than this. But, as with Aaim To Prosper, what do you do at the moment? He has won with cut in the ground, so we take our chance and hope he can get away with it.

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